Forever starts now
by Naidoo
Summary: Sequel to 'Five years in the making'. It is advisable to have read the original story before reading the sequel, but not a must in order to understand it. Takes place some months after the proposal.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: sorry it took a while to get this up, but life had interferred with me and my beta's time. Sorry, but we made it.. Six chapters in total. Enj_oy.

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It had been a week since they told the others. Despite the initial shock and surprise, they now had the full support of the entire team, which was important to both of them. After all, they saw the BAU as their family.

Morgan had been planning on taking his Baby Girl out on a first official date for days, weeks really, but every time, a case had changed his plans. Penelope always got really excited at the prospect of a date, so Morgan always felt really bad letting her down, having to postpone yet another time. He hated causing her that sort of disappointment, although she understood perfectly well.

In fact, she was usually the one pushing him out the door so he could make his way to the airport to chase after yet another bad guy. If he'd had his way, he wouldn't have left quite that easily. But she had ways of convincing him and arguments as to why he had to go.

In the end, she was right. It was his job to chase after them.

They were just on their way back from another case. When the jet arrived back at the airport, he decided tonight was the night. It was Friday after all, there was no case pending for them to work on right away, and the paperwork could wait until Monday. He knew it was quite last minute, but this might be the best chance for that first date he would get. God only knew what case was waiting for them come Monday and how long it would keep him away from his goddess.

He had called his girl before they left Wyoming and told her about his plans so she wouldn't be completely unprepared, and after some discussion and worry on her side, she gave in to his idea.

After a short stop at his place to get changed, he made his way over to Penelope's.

He'd been on many dates in the past, but none ever made him feel as excited and giddy as this one. The fact that he actually already _had_ the girl made it even stranger. He knew he didn't _need_ to impress her or anything. There wasn't the usual 'first date pressure', but he still wanted to make sure she had a fabulous time. Okay, maybe he still wanted to impress her. After all, she had not seen all his _tricks_.

However, the moment she opened the door for him, all of that went out of the window. She stood there in all her perfection, wearing the dress he had seen last on her over four years ago. _That_ dress. The one she wore the same night when Kevin Lynch forgot about their first anniversary and Morgan asked himself what kind a moron Kevin Lynch really was. He had never seen her wear the dress again, but the image of her in that piece of deep red cloth had been in his dreams for months.

Even after four years, it still looked amazing on her, displaying every one of her perfect curves neatly.

As if she could read his mind, she smiled sweetly and innocently at him. "I thought it would fit the occasion."

_That's just plain mean_, he thought to himself, knowing perfectly well that she was aware already that night four years ago what affect this dress had on him.

She got her coat, and Morgan knew at that moment, this would be a very long night.

Since it had been quite last minute, it hadn't been simple to make arrangements. For whatever reason, restaurants had all been booked tonight, and there was not one he could reserve a table at. Fortunately, he had a back-up plan. Maybe not as perfect as a real first date should be, but he had a feeling Penelope wouldn't mind.

It had not been as perfect as a restaurant, but after all, it was Friday and it had become somewhat of a tradition for them by now. Going for after work drinks to Murphy's was something Morgan and Penelope had done nearly every Friday for the last seven years. That's where they started their perfect bond, on that first day when they met, and Morgan called her 'Baby Girl' because he didn't know her name.

Afterwards, he had invited her for drinks, still feeling slightly sorry for the whole incident. That's when it all somehow started. From that day on, they met every week for drinks, and then added to the Friday Night Drinks were the Saturday Movie Night and Wednesday Junk Food Night.

So he brought her there tonight, to Murphy's. After all, they did serve food, although not many knew, since it was more known for its cheap drinks than for the 'haute cuisine' – that is, if you want to call homemade burgers, fish and chips or steak 'haute cuisine'.

Just as Derek had predicted, Penelope didn't seem to mind at all that, instead of being taken to an overpriced, overcrowded and overrated restaurant downtown, Derek took her to their favorite bar.

He knew she wasn't much of a fan of dancing, especially not in public, and most definitely not in one of the clubs, which were frequented by young and pretty girls that were probably just half her size.

He knew the discussion would start the moment she found out where they were heading next, so he tried to keep it a secret as long as possible. He should have known she was better than he gave her credit for. They were still more than five minutes by car away from the place, and she knew.

"You know I'm not much a fan of these places," he heard her whining, and barely managed to not laugh. She had that cute little tone in her voice that usually made him do anything she wanted. But not tonight.

"That's just because you haven't been there with the right company, Goddess. Trust me, we'll have a great night, I'll show you some 'Derek Morgan' moves and then we'll leave. How does that sound?"

"Apart from the 'Derek Morgan' moves, I am not too excited," she laughed, wondering what else he had in store for them.

The moment they entered the club, she wanted to leave. The beat of the music could be felt through the floor, and the dance floor wasn't even anywhere close in sight. The girls around them gave her looks that made her want to run right back out, but Morgan, who was right behind her, pushed her further into the place. She wasn't insecure about herself. Well, not really, at least. It also wasn't that she didn't trust Morgan. She trusted him blindfolded and with her life, if necessary, but she didn't trust _them. _How they threw themselves at him, all desperate and oh-so-innocent. With their perfect size zero bodies and hair extensions and the general surgical enhancement. Derek Morgan, after all, was just a guy as well. He wouldn't be invincible or immune against their _techniques_ forever.

As if reading her mind, she felt him bend down and whisper in her ear. "Trust me, they don't do anything for me. Anything at all. The only person I want to take home with me tonight, or any other night, is you, Baby Girl."

"You want a drink?" he asked her when they finally made it to the bar, after what seemed like hours.

"No, thanks, I'm good," she assured him.

"Why are you so nervous than?"

"I just … don't like places like this," she explained. "The music, the amount of people. The _type_ of people. It's just not my scene, to be honest."

"It's alright, sugar. How about we show them how it's done?" he asked, smiling at her and nodding at the dance floor.

"Hot Stuff, how am I supposed to show them how it's done, when I, myself, don't even know?"

"Well, I guess I have to show you then…" he said, taking her hand and pulling her slowly towards the very crowded center of the club.

When the up-tempo beat started filling the floor and Derek turned around, pulling her into his arms, she started thinking that maybe this wasn't that bad of an idea after all. When people started moving and bumping into her, pushing her even further into Morgan's arms, she actually started enjoying it. She just didn't know what to do when it came to moving herself.

Her parents made her take up some dance classes when she was fourteen, but that clearly wouldn't help her here, since she couldn't really imagine how classical dancing would work to music like this.

She felt Morgan's arm suddenly wrap around her waist, settling the hand on her lower back. He pulled her slightly towards him, and indicated to follow his lead. Not that she really knew what to do. She was definitely too slow to mimic his moves, and didn't know how else she could follow his lead.

He increased the pressure of his hand on her lower back and pulled her even closer, forcing her so that when he moved down, she had to move with him and when he came up, so did she.

A few songs into their routine, he felt her grow more confident and start trying out some moves all by herself. He could see that she was suddenly way more relaxed and something definitely had changed. He'd known she would get into it if he just showed her a few things. Swaying over the floor, spinning and turning her around, he noticed how perfect she looked, now, after she relaxed and started to really have fun.

He also noticed the looks she got from people around them. Not just the girls who seemed to not be as happy as she was, but also the guys surrounding them, looking at her with more than just casual interest. And who could blame them, especially in a dress like that, which barely left anything to imagination and hugged exactly all the perfect spots on her.

Spinning her around again and turning around from her for a moment, he suddenly was met by one of the girls he had seen several times around him since they entered the place. She was trying to make a move, ignoring the fact that he clearly hadn't come alone. She moved in, rested her hands around his waist and started moving with him when the first few beats of a new song filled the room.

He danced for a moment, not wanting to seem rude, abut not really paying any attention to her. He was more focused what had happened to his blonde goddess.

After a minute or less, when he detached himself from the girl that was plastered against him, and turned around, he saw Penelope being surrounded by several guys. One in particular was close to her, moving to her moves, matching every single one of them. She didn't have the same pleasurable expression on her face as when she danced with him, but didn't seem as if she was uncomfortable either. And he couldn't blame these guys, she was on fire tonight. She was usually hot and sexy, but tonight, she was beyond that.

He saw the guy who seemed to be so perfectly able to match her moves dance in closer, and his hands going to places they definitely shouldn't be going.

Derek knew it was all innocent and she would never do anything that would lead him to mistrust her, but he still didn't like the idea of her with one of these guys closer than really necessary. He moved quickly, making sure to not waste any time, and reached for her wrist, pulling her playfully away from these guys and making it look like a move, so she wouldn't become suspicious and no one around them would start wondering. He wasn't a guy who would cause scenes, especially not if his Baby Girl seemed to be enjoying herself that much. He preferred a less confronting, more pleasurably physical and horizontal way to clear things like that anyway.

"I hope you won't stray from me again tonight," he teased her, knowing she would understand he wasn't mad or angry.

"Oh, handsome, you should know, no matter how often I stray, I will always return to you and only you," she laughed, giving him a kiss.

"That's all I need to hear, Sweetness," he replied, smiling slightly at her. "You know, all these people around us? They seem to enjoy the view of you much more than the music," he commented laughing.

She moved closer to him, bringing her lips to his ear. "You know, I also do private shows," she laughed softly, and when he turned his head slightly, looking at her with lifted eyebrows, she just looked at him mischievously.

"Well, who am I to turn down an offer like that?" he asked, pulling her slowly away from the dance floor and the gazes of the bystanders.


	2. Private Enetertainment

Once they were back at his place and the door fell into the lock behind them and he felt Garcia was all over him, pressing herself so tight against Morgan that it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. The shoes were gone first, and judging by how things were going, they weren't the last thing that would go. She was kissing him hard and somewhat desperately, and to Morgan, it was clear as day as to where this would be heading soon.

When he told her that night a few weeks ago how he really felt, he also made sure that she knew they would take all the time she needed. He didn't want her to think they needed to move the relationship further anytime soon, just because they were getting married now. Morgan would even have waited until the actual wedding night, if that's what she wanted. Judging from how things were going now, tonight was the night.

He felt her hands finding their way under his shirt, rummaging up and down his chest and sides. She had him pressed against the front door, not able to move an inch; not that he wanted to move _anywhere_ at all. He was perfectly happy with the spot he was in.

Her lips were searching his, finding them and starting their magic, her tongue tracing over his upper lips, making him moan softly. She took advantage of that moment and slipped inside his very welcoming mouth, letting their tongues battle for domination. He was happy letting her win – without even arguing, but he wanted to give her at least _something_ to work with. Not that she seemed to need much tonight, judging by her hands on his chest, which by now had managed to open about half his shirt and were getting busy with the rest of the buttons.

Once this task was completed, she slowly pushed the fabric of his shoulders and got busy working on his pants. And although he didn't mind doing this all in the hallway of his house, he somehow had other ideas about how and where they would become one for the first time.

It was a hard fight with himself, having the strength and power to willingly stop her in her path of getting him undressed, but the desire to have them not fall all over each other in his hallway won in the end.

He took her hands into his, getting a confused look from her. She didn't understand why he'd stopped her when she seemed so successful in getting him all hot and bothered.

"We honestly should move this somewhere other than the hallway," he explained to her in a low voice, finding it rather hard to form any words at all when one of her hands slipped out of his hold and found the zipper of his jeans. The things this woman did to him….

She didn't respond; didn't seem to even listen.

As much as he loved her debauching him right then, he wanted this to be done properly. Just this once. After tonight, she could do whatever she liked to him, anywhere. So when she didn't respond, he took actions in his own hands, literally. He lifted her up, which seemed to shock her somehow, judging by her response and sudden intake of breath.

She adjusted quickly to the new situation, wrapping her legs around his waist and letting him take her wherever he wanted. She had everything she needed right at her fingertips; well, almost everything.

Carrying her in the general direction of his bedroom, she certainly didn't make this easy for him. Her legs wrapped tighter around his waist with every step he took, and her hands were traveling up and down his whole upper body. She caressed his upper arms, tracing the lines on his tattoo. Her fingers traveled over his shoulder blades and she dug her fingernails softly into the flesh, causing a pleasurable pain. She then continued their travel downwards, over his rippling abs, tracing every muscle with her index fingers, until her hands finally seemed to come to a halt, grabbing his butt through the jeans. He'd nearly tripped once when she dug her fingernails softly into his shoulder blades, but now, with her hands resting firmly on his backside, he was glad he was just steps away from the bed.

He had always known she would be something amazing once he got her into his bed, but the past few moments, how she worked him, got him all hot, hard and bothered... She seemed to be a better master in seduction that even Morgan was. Every movement of her hand, every action of her lips, it all was a perfect act in getting him exactly where she wanted. Not that he minded, but this game could be played by two.

Placing her on his bed and stepping away from her for a moment was probably one of the hardest things he ever had to do, but he just wanted to make sure they took at least _some_ time. He didn't want this to be over in ten minutes, and with the determination she had, that's where it would be heading. He wanted to take his time, explore every single inch and patch of skin, mark her as his and make sure she knew there was no one else, ever again, for him. He wanted to build her up, drive her slowly insane.

Stepping back between her legs, he bent down, framing her face with his hands and kissing her hard, dominating the kiss from the very first second. He knew she wanted to be in control of the situation, but he wasn't going to give it to her. He wanted this to be right, wanted this to be about her, for her.

He felt her shiver, felt her hands coming up to frame his face and her legs slowly close in an attempt to make him fall. He had to laugh about it.

He went down on his knees, not losing contact with her lips for a second. His hands started working on the straps of her dress, which were tied together behind her back, but eventually he managed to get them untied.

His lips parted from hers, moved along her cheeks and stopped for a short nip at her earlobe. Moving further down, he kissed her neck, sucking it softly, desperate to leave a mark somewhere she couldn't hide it. Everyone would see that she was very taken.

Continuing his journey further down her body, he let his lips travel to the valley between her breasts, while his hands tried working out how to get the rest of that dress off his girl.

His moved his lips to one of her breasts and got a sharp intake of air from Penelope. Her hands were caressing his head and neck, moving up and down in frantic motions. When he bit down softly, she let out a moan, and he knew he was on his way to where he wanted her.

Pushing her back gently on the bed, he pulled her hips up softly with his hands in an attempt to get her out of that dress. Finally succeeding, he discarded it somewhere behind him. Now she was left with only panties on – and all his to explore and play with. And play he would.

His lips still hadn't lost contact with her skin, still nibbling lazily at her nipple, which seemed to have some effect on her, since the moaning got louder. Deciding it was time to pay the other breast of hers the same attention, he moved his lips around, leaving a wet trail of kisses in between.

He let his hands move lazily around Penelope's body, and occasionally pushed her panties down an inch, before returning to his curious exploration of her body. She seemed to get slightly frustrated that he wouldn't just yank them off her and start with the real stuff, but he had time. Loads of time. They had the whole weekend to themselves, and there was no need for him to rush anything. He could continue for hours, doing nothing but this. He knew if he really _did_ continue for hours, at some point Penelope would probably take matters into her own hands.

She already was desperate for more contact, so she hooked her fingers into the belt loops of his jeans, pulling him down, and getting back to work on his zipper.

Finally succeeding in getting more of the much needed skin contact and also getting the jeans open, she slowly moved her hands under the garment, pushing it down and revealing his boxer shorts to her. At least now, they were even concerning the amount of clothes they still had on. That seemed to be good enough for her for the moment, since her hands left his butt and moved further up to his chest and found his nipples to play with.

When Morgan decided that he had paid enough attention to her breasts, he moved further down, placing wet, openmouthed kisses all his way down to her navel. He dipped his tongue in for a second and continued further down.

Finally she felt him pull off her dripping wet panties. Now all she had to get rid of were his boxer shorts. She settled her hands at the hem and pushed them down, revealing skin inch by inch. She didn't expect his hand, which stopped her in her actions.

"Not even close to that yet," she heard him whisper. She started getting really frustrated. She had to admit, it was nice having someone who seemed to take his time with her. Not like Kevin, who did the deed, came and that was it. But she was going insane here, with his slow and lazy movements, and his lips and hands that seemed to want to touch every single inch of her before they moved any further.

Morgan knew how to do it, that's for sure, but she wasn't sure she wanted that tonight. She liked the effort and attention, but she was getting more and more desperate with the second. She seriously needed him, and that, soon. She was getting extremely frustrated and was worried that she would start combusting spontaneously.

Suddenly she felt the contact break. Just like that.

'_What the…?' _she started thinking, but just a second later felt it, felt him, between her legs. His tongue moved suddenly to places that started making up for the torture he had put her through the last hour.

He could hear the groans, the desperation and the frustration. He could feel the anticipation. And he knew he had her exactly where he wanted her for the moment - right at his mercy.

"Derek, I swear to God – " he could hear her say between moans, and he actually smiled. She usually was someone who liked to be in control about things, be sure what is going on and happening, but this was beyond her control. Far beyond it.

When she decided to move her legs and dig her heels into his back, he got the message she was trying to send. Maybe it was time.

At that, he brought his fingers into the mix. It didn't take long for her to finally get what she had been hoping for since they came back to his place. He felt her dig her heels harder into his shoulder and give in to the sensation.

Hearing his name coming from her lips at that moment was the best sound he'd ever heard. He was hoping to hear a lot of it in the future.

"And that was just the start," he whispered into her ear after he had kissed his way up her body again, getting a smile from her in return. Something about that smile was off. He couldn't point his finger to it, but there was something.

A moment later, he felt one of her legs wrap around his back and he was rolled over with her now straddling him. He should have known she wouldn't give up control that easily.

He could feel her fingers on his body, traveling from his chest downwards, until they reached the hem of his boxers. His eyes didn't leave her face, and the determination he saw there was almost scary. He knew if he turned the tables yet again, she might hurt him. Badly.

She hooked her thumbs under the hem, slowly pushed it downwards, hoping he would get the hint to move up his hips so she could push them down all the way. Luckily he did. With them now gone and laying somewhere behind her, there were no more barriers between them.

She moved up and down his body slowly, and Derek knew it was payback time. She wanted to get back at him for what he did to her earlier, making her wait, and building up her desire and need to a point where it became nearly unbearable.

He let her play for the moment, let her taste him, kiss every inch of skin. She was seemingly desperate to make sure every inch was covered in kisses and not miss one single spot. Her hands traveled up and down his sides, shifting between her fingers tracing imaginary lines and her fingernails scratching lightly.

She moved further down, taking her time exploring and enjoying, tasting and teasing. He felt her soft curls fall onto his skin, moving softly over his muscles and skin, making them flex from the sensation, and he knew if he didn't stop her there, he would come, and that was not what he had planned. He knew her goal was probably to return the same pleasure he had given her just a few moments ago, but that's not what he wanted. He didn't want to come with her going down on him. He wanted to be deep inside her when the moment of release came. He wanted their first time to be about her, rather than him. Or equality. This was more for her than for him. It probably sounded stupid, but that's how he wanted it.

So before she could move any further and he reached that point of no return, he moved his hands to her stomach and let his fingers slightly stroke over the skin. He knew she was ticklish at that specific spot, had known that for years. When she reacted the way he knew she would, he saw his chance. He got her off balance, regained control of the situation, and was back on top of her.

She looked at him for a moment, confused, and he saw doubt slowly clouding her vision.

"No worries, Baby Girl," he started. "Just not what I had in mind for tonight."

He moved his hands along her arms, pinned her wrists above her head and took her mouth in a feverish kiss. He just couldn't get enough of those lips.

His lips connected to her neck once more, licking and kissing their way up and down, caressing the now visible love bite he had left earlier. His hands moved down her body, between her legs, slowly parting them so he could slip between.

His hands were caressing her face, wanting to make sure to witness every single emotion displayed on his Baby Girl's face. He had seen the short moment of pain on her face, thinking for a moment she wasn't ready yet, but that was quickly replaced with a look of pleasure.

XXX

She didn't know how long it took her to come down from that high of sensations, but felt herself being moved and sheets being wrapped around her.

Morgan saw her laying there, with an expression of her face that read 'completely spent'. _Mission__ accomplished, _he smiled to himself before moving in behind her and wrapping his arms around her tightly.

He was very satisfied with how the evening had gone, especially given that he hadn't planned any of this 'first date' and the fact that it all had been rather spontaneous. And, he was quite certain, so was she.


	3. Dancing in the Streets

_A/N: Althought this might sound kind of weird, but this is somehow my favourite chapter of the series. And becausen it should be mentione dand it should be given credit where credit is due thanks to KricketWilliams, who actually inspired the idea of this chapter with something she mentioned in her story 'Choose Me'._

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When Penelope woke the next morning, she had that blissful feeling all around her, feeling like the queen of the world. There was nothing that could bring her down today. Nothing, and nobody, at all. Wrapped up in a sheet and Morgan's strong arms, she felt better than she'd felt in a long time.

The soft snoring coming from behind her signaled that her boyfriend was still asleep. One glance at the watch on the nightstand told her it was 8:30, and she could see the sun slowly rising outside, bathing the room in a soft light.

Being wide awake, she turned in Morgan's arms, facing him and studying him for a few moments. Even after two months, it was still hard to believe that he really was hers - that he was her boyfriend and soon to be husband.

She remembered the shocked and surprised faces of their friends and co-workers, but also the joy. Of course it was a crazy idea, getting married based on a little piece of napkin which held both their signatures and the promise to marry each other. That wasn't the real reason for their relationship. It was what started all this, but she knew that he felt it as well as she did.

If anyone had told her that's how Morgan and she would end up, she wouldn't have believed them. After all, she had seen the girls he used to date, the way they looked and acted, so different from herself in every way. And yet, she was the one he would marry, a thought that made her smile hard. She felt so lucky, so happy, that she felt almost guilty for it.

Unwrapping herself slowly from Morgan's tight embrace, she decided to let him sleep a while longer. She got up, found a pair of his boxers in his drawers and a white shirt hanging over the backrest of a chair. She stepped over her dress, laying in the doorway between bedroom and hallway, and left for the kitchen.

After getting the coffee started and gathering things for breakfast, she turned the radio on. As she rummaged through Derek's rather spacious kitchen, she moved to the songs and beat which filled the room.

Morgan woke up slowly, expecting to find Penelope laying next to him, in his arms, but her spot was empty. The sheets were still warm, so she couldn't have been gone for long.

For a moment, he thought she might have sneaked out on him, although there wouldn't be any reason for it, but then he heard noises coming from down the hallway. Turning around to get up, he got himself a pair of boxers and followed the noises down the hallway, stopping abruptly in the doorway to his kitchen.

He leaned against the frame, trying not to make any noise or catch her attention, since he wanted to take in the picture in front of him for as long as possible. In his kitchen was Penelope Garcia, clad in only a pair of his navy boxer shorts and a large, white dress shirt, which he recognized as the one he was wearing just last night before picking her up. Her hair was undone, messy and just out of bed, sticking out several directions.

The radio was playing some Motown songs. Penelope was dancing to the beats barefoot, moving her hips softly, swaying them to the pace of the music, bringing her arms up, all with a huge smile plastered all over her pretty face. She turned and moved backwards, her eyes closed and looked so gorgeous to him in that moment. She shook her hips, bumping them into the kitchen counter every now and then.

When she started singing along to 'Dancing in the Street', sometimes a bit off key, but still cute, he thought he had never seen anything sexier in his life.

All these thin, pretty girls he'd been dating, they all were sexy in one way or another, but none of them compared to the image in his kitchen, which was moving happily around, oblivious to her surroundings.

She spun around several times, making the kitchen her dance floor, and the way she moved, shook her hips, raised her arms in the air and let her hands travel through her hair, throwing her head from one side to another... He was mesmerized.

Then Clooney came running into the kitchen, making his way past Morgan and going directly to Garcia, who was slightly startled at the unexpected intrusion. She then saw Morgan, how he leaned casually against the doorframe, looking at her, amazed.

_How long had he been standing there?_ she wondered, suddenly becoming insecure and wondering what he might think of her little morning show.

He pushed himself off the frame and walked over to her, cupping her face with his hands and kissing her good morning. She responded, wrapping her arms around his neck and getting on her toes, pressing herself softly against him.

"Good morning, my goddess," he smiled against her lips, starting their usual morning banter. For a moment, she laughed.

"I'll show you a good morning, Hot Stuff."

"Oh, I think you just did, gorgeous, with that little show of yours. And here I was thinking last night would be the last time I would see you move that body of yours so seductively," he said, bringing his lips down on hers again.

"Told you I'd do private shows," she laughed between kisses.

"Well, you better just do them for me then."

"Only you, trust me," she assured him, kissing him once more as he pushed her back softly, locking her between himself and the kitchen counter, resting his hands next to her on the counter.

This morning had already started better than most, and he would make sure from now on, every morning would kick off like that, because Penelope dancing through his kitchen this seductively? Something he wanted to see from now on every day. Now he just needed to find a way of making her agree.


	4. doubts?

_A/N: Adding a tiny bit of angst, but no worry, this is as bad as it gets and the only angst. Posting this now, since I'm out for a Girl's night for the rest of the night. Thanks to all you amazing people, who keep reading, alerting and reviewing. It means a lot to me. Keeps me writting. _

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Ever since their first date, Morgan had managed to set up several more dates for them, all at least as spontaneous as their first one. There had been the classical 'a movie and dinner' dates, a date at a concert of Penelope's favorite band, and brunch dates at the little café just around the corner from Morgan's house. When it came to dates, it seemed as if Morgan's ideas never seemed to end.

As many ideas as he had in regards of dates, there seemed to be at least the same amount when it came to their wedding. What struck Morgan as odd was the fact that all his ideas seemed to not match his Baby Girl's. Not that he wanted anything really weird or strange, no, it was quite the opposite. A ceremony with friends and family, vows written themselves and a huge, festive party to follow the big event was what he thought about. Penelope's idea sounded more like getting hitched at City Hall during their lunch break, without anyone really knowing.

"You do know that we told them, right?" he had asked her, referring to the rest of the BAU team. She nodded. "So, why making it that much of a secret? I mean, they know already. JJ and Emily are probably already fighting about colors for bridesmaid dresses. If you don't want to get married right away, it's okay as well, but just say so," he explained, kissing her softly. "If you need more time, that's okay."

"No, I don't need more time. It's okay. I'm happy, and I want this wedding. Really," she reassured him, but somehow, there was something that made him doubt.

"Gorgeous, I plan on getting married just once in my life. To you. And although I don't need a huge gathering with hundreds of people attending, I somehow want something more out of this than just going down to City Hall between cases without anyone witnessing it."

He saw Penelope looking at him for a moment, thinking.

"You sure?" he heard her suddenly ask, which surprised him slightly.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked back.

It took a moment for Penelope to do anything. She let out a breath, followed by a sigh, which certainly made Morgan more suspicious.

"What's going on, baby?"

"You know how I went up to Chicago a few weeks ago?" she asked, and he nodded, remembering too well. His mother had invited her up North, wanting to have a few days with her to help her with preparations and such. Come to think of it, Morgan now realized his mother actually never called him like he'd expected, making sure he was well aware of what to be expected to help with.

"Well, your sisters took me out for lunch one day and we met that girl. Amber Morris…" she went on.

"You met Amber?" Morgan asked, surprised. He knew that his sisters still had contact with his ex-girlfriend, but last he heard, she lived somewhere overseas.

"Yeah. Nice girl."

"Yeah, I guess. But what does Amber Morris have to do with our wedding?" he asked, confused.

"We got to talking, and when Sarah and Desiree told her who I was, she had this surprised look on her face. I asked why she was so surprised, assuming she would just say that I was not not the type of your usual girlfriends. But she said that last time she talked to you, a few years ago, you told her you would never settle down. If you ever had to get married, the only way for you would be down at City Hall, not wasting time with churches, vows and stuff…" she started explaining.

Morgan, who was suddenly hit by realization, stepped forward, kissing her hard and deep.

"Baby Girl, that was something like eight years ago, or even longer. True, back then I was playing the field and probably had a new girl every week, but that was then. Now, all I really want is to settle down, with you, making sure we do this right and not just in between cases and breaks to 'get it over with'. And you want to know what has changed my mind?" he asked her, receiving a nod. "I met you," he simply stated, waiting a moment for the answer to sink in. And when it did, he received the sweetest, shyest smile he had ever seen on her face.

After that, Penelope's ideas became similar to Derek's, and they finally, really, got started organizing their wedding.


	5. I now pronounce you husband and wfe

_A/N: One more chapter and we are done, folks. thanks for all the support ad reviews. Means a lot to me. _

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The day came quicker than either of them had expected it, despite the fact they'd spent the last six months planning. In the end, they decided on a small ceremony in the church, with JJ and Emily as bridesmaids, Rossi and Reid as groomsmen and Hotch giving her away. It was a sunny day in May, the sky was clear, without any clouds at all. The perfect day for a wedding.

"I can't do this," Penelope suddenly said, walking nervously up and down the living room of her apartment. Emily and JJ looked at each other and smiled.

"Sure you can," both said in unison, as they had done for the last hour or so, ever since Penelope's nerves started to show.

"But I….," she started, looking at both her friends.

"Why don't you sit down for a moment? Let us get you some water," Emily said while ushering her to the couch.

"Maybe I should take another Xanax?" Penelope suggested and got a 'no' from both.

"Why not? Maybe the last one didn't work, maybe…" she started, looking for arguments.

"Penelope," JJ said, giving her a glass of water and then sitting down next to her.

"This is your wedding day. Probably the most important day in your life. You are supposed to be nervous," JJ stated slowly.

"Jesus, JJ, can you put any _more_ pressure on me?" Penelope asked.

"Listen, I am pretty sure right now, Morgan is as nervous as you, freaking out, wondering what he is doing. It's supposed to be like that. You usually do not have a lot of marriages to practice for this. It's just part of the whole experience." JJ

tried to calm her friend down, which seemed to work for a while, since Penelope calmed down, although just a bit.

When Emily heard her cell phone ringing, she decided that JJ should be okay for a moment, and got up to answer. The caller I.D. read _Rossi_.

"How is the husband-to-be doing, Rossi?" she asked into the phone, when she had moved out of earshot from her friends.

"Surprisingly, as calm as I have never seen him before. Amazing actually," he stated, sounding surprised. "How's his wife-to-be?" he then asked.

"I would say close to a nervous breakdown," Emily confessed. She heard Rossi laughing, then walked over to the door when she heard a knock.

"I guess we'll see you all at the church in a little while. Try to keep her away from Xanax and alcohol," she heard David suggest.

"Trust me, I wouldn't want to risk Morgan coming after me," she said before closing her phone and opening the door.

"Mrs. Morgan," Emily said, a bit surprised, not expecting to see Derek's mother before the ceremony.

"I thought I'd just drop by quickly, see how she is doing. I remember how I felt on my big day," Fran explained, looking over Emily's shoulder and seeing Penelope.

"I just can't do this," Penelope exclaimed again, a bit louder this time.

Emily looked at Fran, seeing the sympathizing look on the older woman's face.

"That good, huh?" she asked, smiling before stepping inside the apartment.

"I just... I can't do this," Penelope exclaimed once more, suddenly seeing Fran. "I..." she started again, looking for other words.

Fran walked over to her, sat down next to her on the couch and patted Penelope's knee.

"Tell me, Penelope, why can't you do this?" she asked, getting surprised looks from both JJ and Emily.

Penelope looked at Fran for a moment, thinking of what to say.

"I… well … What if we just rushed things?" Penelope finally asked.

"Hmm… the way I see it, and what I have heard from my son until now, you two are meant to get married today. Ever since the day he met you, it has always been 'Baby Girl here, Penelope there, Goddess everywhere'. There were times my son didn't seem to have any other topic to talk about. You take up a pretty big part of Derek's life, and not just since you started dating. No, practically since the day he met you. If you want to back out of it now because you aren't sure of your feelings, I know that Derek won't mind, because he wants you to be sure. But if you just want to cancel everything because you are not certain about his feelings for you anymore, trust me when I tell you, I knew years ago that you and Derek were going to end up like this at some point. Even when he dated that Tamara girl, I knew he was wasting his time. Time he should spend with you, doing this, what you do today, years ago," Fran said with a soft expression.

"For that long? Years?" Penelope asked in surprise.

"Yes, for years. I knew all along, but of course, it took my son some more years to catch on to what most of us have seen all along," she suddenly laughed, making Penelope smile.

All three women noticed the change in Penelope's demeanor, much more calm and relaxed now.

"I guess we can go then?" Fran asked after a few moments, seeing the clock on the wall and the time.

_____

About half an hour later, everyone was in the church, now waiting for the entrance of the bride. And suddenly, the nerves were back. It's not as if she was doubting herself, or Derek for that matter. She really did believe in them. But something, something deep inside her, was still asking_ What if?_

She decided on ignoring that stupid question. After all, she had heard Fran, how she knew they were meant for each other, and how Derek spoke about her all the time, long before _anything_ happened.

When she walked down the aisle on Hotch's arm, she saw Derek waiting at the other end of it, dressed in a black tuxedo and looking better than she had ever seen him. He was smiling at her, but seemed to have a certain nervousness about him as well, and she knew all her doubts were forgotten. At the end of that aisle was her future, waiting for her.

When she stepped next to him, the last bit of nervousness and anxiety was gone, replaced with excitement and anticipation.

When the priest asked whether anyone knew any reason for them to not get married, Penelope thought about all those movies she had seen; movies in which during the last minute, someone would come running into the church and scream 'don't' for whatever reason. And although she knew it was stupid, given that it had been over eight months ago, for a moment, she expected Kevin or Tamara to run through that door, giving her little fairytale an abrupt ending. When the moment passed and no one said anything, she heard the words she had been hoping for ever since that day over eight years ago; ever since she laid eyes on Derek Morgan, and fallen so in love with him.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."

She felt Morgan's lips brushing hers softly, sealing their marriage with a kiss. She nearly fainted from happiness. It just seemed so unreal for a moment. She feared that it all had been just a dream and she would wake up any minute now.


	6. the epilogue

_A/N: Well, they say everything must come to an end. Thanks for all the nice words, reviews and alerts, fav'ing and such. You guys have no idea what it means and encourages. =)  
_

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_Ten years later_

Ever since she got married to Derek Morgan, life had changed for Penelope. She had always been an enthusiastic, happy and positive person, but since her marriage, it went off the hook. There was so much happiness in her life, all day every day, and she felt so blessed, that she almost felt guilty for it. Derek was probably doing anything possible to keep her happy and make sure she experienced every single day how much he loved her and how much she meant to him.

Half a year into their marriage, Penelope got the good news that she was pregnant, and she had never seen her husband happier than the day she told him. Now, ten years later, they had a daughter and a son.

Eve was nine years old, and to Derek, she was the prettiest girl in the world, right after her mother, of course. She was a lot like Penelope, very alive, bubbly and a happy child, running and jumping around, laughing all day. Ashton was eight, and as far as Morgan was concerned, already a heart breaker.

______

"He had his eyes all over her," Morgan defended himself.

"That's a taste then for you, how the future will be," Penelope laughed at her husband and his reaction about their daughter having her first 'admirer'.

"Oh, not if I have a say in it."

"Morgan, babe, the boy's eleven. What could he possibly do at eleven?"

"I don't know, but imagine what he'll be doing when he gets to be sixteen!"

"Well, if he is anything like you, I have a pretty good idea," she laughed again, winking at him.

"We should really think about enrolling her in one of these girls only schools. That would solve _that_ problem," he suggested in earnest.

At that, Penelope turned around, looking at her husband for a moment.

"Are you serious?" she asked, nearly bursting out in laughter.

"Yes," he simply stated, at which she rolled her eyes. "What?" he asked.

"If we were having this _situation_ with our son, you would probably pat him on the back and say something like, 'That's my boy'," she said, looking at her husband.

"Oh, don't even go there," Morgan said frustrated, but knowing she had a certain point.

Penelope just smiled at her husband, knowing perfectly well she was right and he knew it. She turned around again, walking towards their bedroom to get ready for tonight.

Despite them being married for over ten years, Morgan still insisted on them having date nights. One per week, if there wasn't a case, of course. Penelope never insisted on them, but never put up a big argument about them going, either. She actually liked the fact that they got away from all for one night per week, having time for just the two of them. Especially since Morgan had been promoted several times since they got married. She never minded, always supported him and his decisions, but his new job positions unfortunately resulted in him being home a lot less, and on the road a lot more. There had been whole months when she hadn't seen him, or they were speaking more with each other through voicemails than not.

The idea of Morgan leaving the BAU had come up several times, but always on his part. She never would have suggested such thing. It was clear to her that sometimes he felt guilty, for not being there all the time, not having regular working hours as others with family had, for having to leave on short notice, no matter what. But she had always assured him that she didn't mind, she knew it was his job. She knew he loved what he was doing. Maybe not as much as he loved his family, but still.

She knew his job was stressful, knew that sometimes he probably didn't even have time to breathe in between cases or chasing bad guys, but one thing he never forgot were their anniversaries. He told her on their wedding day, when they shared the first dance together as husband and wife, that he would make certain he never forgot a single anniversary. Back then, she laughed about it, knowing he still couldn't get his mind wrapped around the fact that Kevin Lynch had managed to forget every single one when they were dating.

Of course, he wouldn't be Derek Morgan if he didn't do things differently. She assumed when he said he would never forget one anniversary, he was talking about the wedding. But when she received flowers and a box with jewelry a couple of months after they got married, she found out that, in fact, they had three anniversaries per year, two of which she didn't even know about.

Their wedding day was the first, followed by the anniversary of him proposing, which marked the day they started 'dating', and was, as far as Penelope was concerned, a cute gesture but not necessary. In her husband's opinion it was.

The third anniversary was the day she joined the BAU and they met for the first time; a day even Penelope wasn't able to remember offhand. She knew, hazily, the month, but just because it was part of her employee login. But one thing she learned pretty quickly about Morgan was that he took anniversaries very seriously. Also, no one was allowed to protest or argue. So she let him do 'his thing' when it came to that part, and happily volunteered as recipient for all the flowers and jewelry. It could certainly be worse.

Sometimes she really had to laugh at how long it took them to get to this point, and that it all somehow started out at a bar, with a napkin and a promise.


End file.
